Akinori Otsuka | Relief Pitcher

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Free agent Akinori Otsuka, who missed last season following elbow surgery, plans to throw for teams next month.

Otsuka's former teams, the Padres and Rangers, both figure to be interested, and they won't be the only ones if Otsuka comes out throwing close to 100 percent. The soon-to-be 37-year-old right-hander has a 2.44 ERA in 236 appearances as a major leaguer. Sat, Dec 27, 2008 02:43:00 PM

Otsuka didn't say whether it'd be Tommy John surgery or something less severe. We're guessing he'll need to have the ligament replaced. If it was a lesser problem, he should have had it taken care of months ago. Thu, Jan 10, 2008 01:43:00 PM

The Phillies may be interested in Akinori Otsuka, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Non-tendered by the Rangers earlier this week, Otsuka figures to be a popular target if teams are confident that he's healthy after missing the second half with arm problems. Fri, Dec 14, 2007 09:57:00 AM

The Rangers are setting Otsuka free even though the reports back from his rehabilitation have been positive. With the way the relief market has blown up, it would have been worth the risk to pay Otsuka $4 million, especially since they still would have had him under control for 2009. This makes C.J. Wilson the current favorite to close for the Rangers, though the team figures to consider Octavio Dotel and maybe a couple of other options. Thu, Dec 13, 2007 12:29:00 AM

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Otsuka didn't say whether it'd be Tommy John surgery or something less severe. We're guessing he'll need to have the ligament replaced. If it was a lesser problem, he should have had it taken care of months ago.

The Rangers are setting Otsuka free even though the reports back from his rehabilitation have been positive. With the way the relief market has blown up, it would have been worth the risk to pay Otsuka $4 million, especially since they still would have had him under control for 2009. This makes C.J. Wilson the current favorite to close for the Rangers, though the team figures to consider Octavio Dotel and maybe a couple of other options.

General manager Jon Daniels said Monday that Akinori Otsuka (elbow) has begun throwing for the first time in two months.

"It's been encouraging," Daniels said. "Everything has been going well. Really, since mid-September, it's all been positive. It was just so late in the season that we wanted to be extra cautious." Otsuka remains one setback away from possibly needing Tommy John surgery, but if healthy could emerge as the Rangers' closer.

Otsuka, a candidate for Tommy John surgery, will resume throwing at the Rangers spring training facility. The Rangers want to see if his arm is healthy before tendering him a contract prior to the December deadline.

Akinori Otsuka (arm), who threw on Monday for about five minutes from 30 feet, believes he will return to the team this season.

He's been out since July 19 because of forearm inflammation, but he wants to return for the final few games to prove to the team he's healthy. The problem is, he simply may not be healthy, and, in fact, Tommy John surgery has been discussed as a possibility. But until he has exploratory surgery, we won't know what Otsuka's ultimate prognosis is.

This is his last try to stave off exploratory surgery that could result in something as simple as a clean-up to revealing he requires Tommy John surgery. The Rangers are holding out hope that simple rest will allow Otsuka to retake the mound this year.

Akinori Otsuka is going to rest his sore elbow for three weeks, making it unlikely that he'll pitch again this season.

Otsuka was told that he doesn't require surgery for his elbow. Still, he's nowhere near being ready to pitch. "If he can get through that, then he'll just rest over the winter. If not, surgery is a possibility," GM Jon Daniels said. "The reality is he probably won't pitch again this year."

Dr. James Andrews declined to recommend surgery following an examination of Akinori Otsuka's elbow on Wednesday.

Otsuka may still end up having a procedure, as the pain has persisted for months. "There is some wear and tear that is consistent with a pitcher of his age," assistant GM Thad Levine said. "There is no structural issue that should prevent him from pitching through this. It's a matter of pain threshold and what he feels comfortable with." If Otsuka does undergo surgery, it'd likely be a cleanup procedure, not something that would knock him out for 2008.

Pitching coach Mark Connor said there's still hope that Otsuka will pitch again this season. "I sure hope he comes back," Connor said. "For him, it's about his confidence and showing people he's healthy going into the off-season."

Shin-Soo choo (elbow, ankle) is progressing nicely in his rehab and admits to feeling "too good" as spring training nears.

The veteran outfielder is already doing full baseball activities and shouldn't have any limitations when spring training begins. He's looking to bounce back from a forgettable 2014 campaign where he slashed just .242/.340/.374 with 13 homers and 40 RBI in 123 games in his first season as a Ranger.

Harrison, who is recovering from spinal fusion surgery, has previously been limited to throwing from 90 feet. He's making progress, but the Rangers aren't expecting him to be ready to contribute until around late May.

The Rangers are expecting Martin Perez (elbow) to rejoin the rotation in July.

Perez has expanded his throwing program to 120 feet and plans to mix in some changeups with his fastball next week. The club says he's ahead of his rehab timetable from Tommy John surgery at the moment, though obviously he still has a long ways to go. "I feel like the ball is going fast," Perez said. "I’m doing good. I’m throwing every day again. I just want to do everything good, take my time and come back and help my team."